Hello everyone. So today i would like to enter to the world of DAC. I am not that familiar with and since i only go thrut cd's, i would like to add a DAC to my system. The main reason.. i listening/discover a lot of music via my computer (itunes and youtube) So of course id like to be able to link my laptop to my system. So how a good dac should work into my system. As good as a good cd player. Does music from itune and youtube will sound good ?Any recommendation of a good dac ?

Philippe, you'll need a device which takes the digital output from the USB port on your laptop and converts it to a form which an input on your 5003 can accept and process. One reasonably priced item is available here which works by converting the USB output to optical digital data which you then use an optical cable to feed into the optical input on your 5003.

The quality of the sound sources available through your computer varies, and doesn't match the excellence of the CD format, but can be quite acceptable. I listen to a great deal of classical music from stations when I'm on my computer (KUSC at the moment), and the great variety available makes it enjoyable, even when the sound quality isn't the ultimate.

I use WD TVlive to stream Audio and Video form the PC to the receiver (since I don't have a PS3). Input: ethernet or usb, outpout: HDMI. Does the job. I would only use an expensive DAC if my intent was to play uncompressed music.

I have (and I believe JohnK does also) the older version of this Xitel DAC. I don't know how this newer unit performs, but I can't imagine it being any different, and I've been extremely happy with mine.

For what you get-cable's, unit etc., you can't beat the price.

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Yes, as Cam comments, I've used that Xitel item for years now with complete satisfaction. The Turtle Beach converter works by optical conversion instead, but the results should be equally good and it's a bit less expensive. The Xitel comes with cables, but the Turtle beach requires an optical cable(maybe $5). Philippe, DACs or optical converters have been mature technology for many years and there's no good reason to spend hundreds of dollars for such a simple item. This is yet another audio area where you often don't "get what you pay for".

At the moment I'm using the Xitel DAC unit to listen to BBC Radio 3, which broadcast an excellent NY Philharmonic program yesterday afternoon, available on demand for six more days.